Packaging for the storage of automotive parts

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a packaging (E) for storing automobile parts, in particular for brake pads or any other parts of similar formats for motor vehicles. The packaging (E) is provided with a receptacle (1) closed by a lid (2) which comprises of at least one hinged flap (24). At least one wall (10) of the receptacle (1) comprises of a locking recess (12) with at least one hinged flap (24), said flap (24) provided with a connecting region (27) which determines connection means engages and simultaneously a handle cavity (30). The walls (10) are provided with stiffening segments (120) configured by the recess (12). The packaging (E) comprises of a stacking means configured by the cooperating engagement of a lower rib (13) of the receptacle (1) supported on a bearing edge (43) of the lid (2).

The present invention refers to a packaging for storing automobile parts, particularly brake pads or any other parts of similar shapes for motor vehicles. The packaging is made of a thermoplastic material, whose main purpose is to provide a packaging with its own specific characteristics and which comprises of a structure with improved mechanical resistance for accommodating parts as well as for promoting safe and practical stacking. Still advantageously, the constructive form of the innovative packaging allows the opening and closing of the lid several times without compromising its integrity.

The present packaging is dedicated, in particular, to the storage of components of vehicle braking systems, which can be manufactured from semi-metallic, metallic or sintered material or metal alloys; they can also be made from other materials, responsible for providing greater friction and mechanical resistance. Such materials have a high molecular weight and crystallinity, resulting in heavier products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A person skilled in the art knows about packaging used to store automobile parts, mainly to protect them against external agents or contact with other objects, and to facilitate their transport and handling, since they deal with automobile components made of high-density materials, resulting in heavy parts exerting a large amount of force against the walls of the respective packaging, which must provide sufficient mechanical resistance for their transport, stacking and safe handling.

One known mode of packaging these automobile parts is the use of cardboard packaging, where the parts are packed loose. Aiming for greater protection, in some cases the pieces are previously wrapped with thermo-retractable material, plastic films or foam, among others, before being packed in the cardboard packaging.

Disadvantageously, the need to wrap the parts with additional protective materials during the packaging process requires an additional step in the manufacturing process, which can be eliminated, since it increases the manufacturing cost.

In spite of the alternative of wrapping the parts to increase protection before packing them in the cardboard packaging, presently the most usual way is simply to store the parts in the said cardboard packaging loose without any additional protection.

In addition to the parts being loose inside this cardboard packaging, which can be damaged by impact, the said packaging is made of hydrophilic material, which leaves the parts susceptible to moisture, since when the cardboard packaging absorbs moisture it is consequently transferred to the part, causing malfunctions.

Moreover, such packaging does not offer any structural resistance to stacking, generating logistical and storage difficulties in the storage of the packaged parts. The said parts can be damaged when stacked or during transportation.

Another disadvantage of cardboard packaging is that after opening for possible verification of the information of the parts contained therein, the packaging remains open, due to the breaking of the adhesive seal normally used to ensure the integrity of the parts. This procedure is common before assembly, but in many cases when the parts are exposed in storage they are susceptible to moisture and/or fall, which can compromise their shelf life, leading to their non-use.

Furthermore, because of the different environmental conditions experienced by the packaging during transportation, often for months inside containers in ships across oceans, the packaging requires a more efficient seal that is able to prevent the penetration of moisture, or even liquids. Thus, this moisture may disadvantageously end up causing damage to the parts stored in such packaging.

Among the problems, we can mention the oxidation factor, which in many cases can reach a level of premature rooting, that is, before their assembly and use, the parts may be oxidized due to moisture entering the packaging, which reduces the shelf life and may require repairs soon after the use of the vehicles due to functional problems. This factor can be aggravated, considering environmental conditions and transport time, in the case of exports by sea, which due to the high index of salt water mist, known as sea air, causes corrosion of several metallic objects.

An alternative to minimize such problems of the prior art would be the use of some container model made of thermoplastics with a hermetic closure. However, containers already on the market are designed to store food, medicines or lighter products, in general.

Examples of such prior art containers are disclosed in EP 2508442A2 and DE202008008310, which disclose a container concept with a lid which seals the internal contents, in particular foods. However, since such containers have been specially designed to store food or medicines, their body and lid do not comprise their own specific structural characteristics for the safe storage of automobile parts that are heavier. Furthermore, they do not enable proper stacking when it comes to storing heavier products. The lack of structural strength can cause deformations in the container and consequently damages in the product during handling, transporting and stacking.

Moreover, the containers disclosed in EP 2508442A2 and DE202008008310 do not comprise a dedicated region for facilitating the handling, which makes it difficult to handle these containers containing heavier parts. Furthermore, these types of containers disadvantageously enable unlocking of the lid unintentionally, since the locking regions of the lid on the container, are generally used by users as handle regions. Due to the disadvantage of not having exclusive handle regions, the user handles the container through the locking regions, which may lead to unintentional unlocking of the lid.

These types of containers are generally designed for packaging of foodstuffs, which are mainly stored statically in refrigerators, shelves and other compartments. Therefore, they do not enable transport in an adequate and safe manner, since they do not comprise interlocking means for stacking containers.

In view of the foregoing, it will be apparent that prior art containers are not adaptable for storing automobile parts, which are often transported by containers across oceans, motor vehicles or aircraft. Abrupt movements and unbalanced and fragile stacking may pose risks to the stored parts.

In order to overcome these drawbacks, the present invention proposes a packaging for the storage of automobile parts, made of thermoplastic material, with its own specific characteristics, which exhibits a structure with better mechanical resistance for accommodation of the parts, as well as promoting safe and practical stacking. Furthermore, the packaging comprises of a receptacle closed by a lid, which is capable of preventing moisture from entering the packaging and damaging the stored part(s).

It is another object of the present invention to provide a packaging suitable for storing and bearing the weight of automobile parts in such a way that the packaging is not damaged and its contents are not tampered with.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a packaging with an intuitive opening and closing means, in an easy, practical and safe manner, as many times as necessary, without compromising its integrity.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a suitably shaped packaging so that, upon stacking of such packaging, an upper packaging may be engaged and interlocked to a lower packaging so as to ensure greater stability of the stack, as well as to withstand the mechanical stresses involved.

It is a further purpose of the invention to provide a unique region for the packaging handle shaped in a safe and ergonomic manner for handling, storage and transport.

It is another purpose of the present invention to provide packaging of different sizes so as to enable the packaging of parts of various sizes and shapes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In short, the present invention relates to a packaging comprising of a receptacle closed by a lid, which comprises of at least one hinged flap projecting downwards with the wall of the receptacle, wherein one wall is provided with a recess. The flap comprises of a connecting region provided with at least one lid engaging projection next to the recess of the wall, which is provided with at least one protrusion which, when in engagement with the protrusion of the connecting region, promotes locking by mechanic interference.

The lid comprises of structural reinforcing projections disposed on its top face, said structural reinforcement projections continuously protruding to the thickness of the top face and are interconnected and delimited by a perimeter rib projecting upwards.

The packaging comprises of a stacking and interlocking means configured by the cooperating engagement of a lower rib of the receptacle supported on a peripheral edge of the lid and positioned between the perimeter rib and at least one rib segment disposed at the edge of the lid. In this way, this cooperative locking system allows stacking and secure seating, ensuring greater stability of two or more packaging.

The following are schematic figures of a particular embodiment of the invention, the dimensions and proportions of which are not necessarily real, as the figures are merely intended to present various aspects thereof, whose scope of protection is determined solely by the scope of the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a packaging (E) in an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of different sizes of packaging (E), showing other embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a top perspective view of a packaging (E) in an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a bottom perspective view of a packaging (E) in an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a simulation of stacking of packaging (E), in one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5A shows an enlarged view of the detail (A) of FIG. 5, showing the closure of the lid (2) with the perimeter edge (11) of the packaging (E), in one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5B shows an enlarged view of the detail (A) of FIG. 5, showing details of locking the lid (2) with the receptacle (1) of the packaging (E), in an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5C shows an enlarged view of the detail (A) of FIG. 5, showing the contact and engagement points for the stack of packaging (E), in one embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown by the appended figures, the packaging (E), preferably manufactured by an injection process in thermoplastic material, comprises of a receptacle (1) which is provided with walls (10), said receptacle (1) being closed by a lid (2) which is provided with at least one hinged flap (24). Furthermore, the lid (2) comprises of at least one perimeter groove (21) cooperating with a perimeter edge (11) disposed in the receptacle (1).

According to FIGS. 1, 3 and 5A, at least one wall (10) of the receptacle (1) comprises of a locking recess (12) with at least one hinged flap (24) which is provided with a connecting region (27) protruding from the inner face of said hinged flap (24) so as to enter said recess (12) upon closure of the lid (2).

Accordingly, the hinged flap (24) protrudes downwards with the wall 10, which projects upwards, upon locking of the lid (2) in the receptacle (1), so as to receive the connecting region (27) with the recess (12).

According to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the recess (12) of the receptacle (1) comprises of at least one protrusion (26) and the connecting region (27) of the hinged flap (24) comprises of at least one protrusion (28), wherein said protrusions (26 and 28) promote locking of the lid (2) next to the receptacle (1), by cooperating engagement and mechanical interference.

According to FIG. 3, the lid comprises of structural reinforcing projections (4) disposed on its top face (41), said structural reinforcement projections (4) continuously protruding to the thickness of the top face (41) and are interconnected and delimited by a perimeter rib (42) projecting upwards from a bearing edge (43). This constructive shape of the lid (2) provides greater rigidity when stacking and allows the reduction of material for its manufacture, and being symmetrical, also facilitates its opening and closing in a practical way.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 5C, the packaging (E) comprises of an interlocking means between packaging (E) for promoting stacking, which is configured by the cooperating engagement of a lower rib (13) of the receptacle (1) between the rib (42) and at least one rib segment (44) disposed on the edge (43) of the lid (2). Advantageously, the interlocking mean promotes safe storage so that, when carrying such packaging, they remain stationary and stacked.

According to FIG. 5C, the packaging (E) further comprises of a stacking mean configured by the cooperating engagement of a lower rib (13) of the receptacle (1) supported on the bearing edge (43) disposed in the lid (2).

In this way, this cooperative locking system allows stacking and secure seating, ensuring greater stability of two or more packagings (E).

According to FIG. 1, each wall (10) of the receptacle (1) comprises of stiffening structural segments (120) configured by the recess (12). The stiffening of the walls takes place in the molding process, where the thermoplastic material accommodates the structural segments (120) in order to form a greater molecular packaging of polymer chains, which promote a region of greater stiffness, providing the walls (10) with greater mechanical resistance.

According to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the connecting region (27) configures means for locking the lid (2) in the receptacle (1) and simultaneously configures the handle cavity (30), disposed on the outer face of the hinged flap (24).

Advantageously, the handle cavity (30) is used to facilitate the handling, transport and/or storage of the packaging (E) by providing an anatomical handle region.

As shown in FIG. 2, the packaging (E) can be manufactured in different sizes, so as to enable adequate packing of brake pads for the various models of motor vehicles.

A person skilled in the art will readily understand, based on the description and illustrated drawings, various ways of carrying out the invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims. 

1. Packaging for the storage of automobile parts comprising of a receptacle (1) having walls (10), the receptacle (1) being closed by a lid (2) provided with at least one hinged flap (24), said lid (2) comprising at least one cooperating perimeter groove (21) with a perimeter edge (11) disposed in the receptacle (1), characterized in that at least one wall (10) of the receptacle (1) comprises of a locking recess (12) with at least one hinged flap (24) of the lid (2), said hinged flap (24) being provided with a connecting region (27) which projects from the inner face of said hinged flap (24) so as to enter said recess (12) when closing the lid (2); the lid (2) comprising structural reinforcement projections (4) disposed on its top face (41), said structural reinforcement projections (4) continuously protruding to the thickness of the top face (41) and being interconnected and delimited by a perimeter rib (42) projecting upwards from an edge (43); the packaging (E) comprises of an interlocking means configured by the engagement of a lower rib (13) of the receptacle (1) between the perimeter rib (42) and the at least one rib segment (44) disposed on the edge (43) of the lid (2).
 2. The packaging for the storage of automobile parts, according to claim 1, characterized in that the recess (12) of the receptacle (1) comprises of at least one protrusion (26) and the connecting region (27) of the hinged flap (24) comprises of at least one protrusion (28), wherein said protrusions (26 and 28) promote locking of the lid (2) next to the receptacle (1), by cooperating engagement and mechanical interference.
 3. The packaging for the storage of automobile parts, according to claim 1, characterized in that each wall (10) comprises of stiffening structural segments (120) configured by the recess (12).
 4. The packaging for the storage of automobile parts, according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting region (27) forms a lid locking means (2) in the receptacle (1) and simultaneously forms a handle cavity (30).
 5. The packaging for the storage of automobile parts, according to claim 1, characterized in that packaging (E) comprises of a stacking means configured by the cooperating engagement of a lower rib (13) of the receptacle (1) resting on the edge (43) disposed in the lid (2). 